Specific vehicle lights and lighting units have been conventionally known which can form a light distribution pattern including a plurality of illumination areas that are independently controlled to be illuminated with or without light.
FIG. 1 shows such a vehicle lighting unit 200 disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-070679 (corresponding to U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0073712A1). The vehicle lighting unit 200 can include a plurality of tubular members 210 each having an inner peripheral surface 211 having been mirror finished, reflectors 220, and a plurality of light emitting elements 230. The plurality of light emitting elements 230 can emit light, and the light can be reflected by the respective corresponding reflectors 220 to enter the respective tubular members 210 through first ends 212 thereof. Then, the light thus entered can be reflected by the inner peripheral surfaces 211 to exit through the other ends 213 (exit openings) of the tubular members 210, thereby being projected to the plurality of illumination areas. Note that a projection lens 240 can be provided so that its rear-side focal plane is located at or near the exit openings 213 of the plurality of tubular members 210.
In the vehicle lighting unit 200 with the above-described configuration, the light emitted from the respective light emitting element 230 can be reflected by the respective reflectors 220 and the inner peripheral surfaces 211 of the respective tubular members 210, so that a uniform (or specific) luminous intensity distribution exists at the exit openings 213. Then, the image at the exit openings 213, or the uniform (or specific) luminous intensity distribution formed at the exit openings 213, can be reversed and projected forward by the action of the projection lens 240, thereby forming the light distribution pattern including a plurality of illumination areas that are independently controlled to be illuminated with or without light.
However, since the thick portions B are present between adjacent ones of the exit openings 213, the image of the thick portions B can also be projected, so that gaps (areas darker than peripheral areas) can be formed in between the plurality of illumination areas that are independently controlled to be illuminated with or without light, which constitutes a longstanding problem in terms of quality perception and presents a need to be resolved.